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"When inspecting
for termites, hire a termite expert. That's exactly what
G. Warren Inc. does with every NJ home inspection. We
do not have our New Jersey home inspectors looking for
termites, we have an outside affiliate exterminating company
perform all our termite "plus" inspections.
Not only will the inspector look for termites but will
also do a complete Wood Destroying Insect (WDI) inspection.
The termite plus inspection is a complete home inspection
which includes not only termites but carpenter ants, powder
post beetles, carpenter bees, etc." |
PRICES START AT $199. NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTIONS. NJ HOME INSPECTORS
NJ CERTIFIED. HOME INSPECTIONS BY LICENSED NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTORS.
NJ HOME INSPECTION INCLUDES: MONEY BACK GUARANTEE HOME INSPECTION,
A NEW JERSEY ON SITE REPORT HOME INSPECTION, FREE CARBON MONOXIDE
TEST WITH EVERY NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTION NJ CERTIFIED INSPECTORS,
A FREE SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM WITH EVERY NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTION.
When inspecting for termites, hire a termite expert. That's exactly
what G. Warren Inc. does with every NJ home inspection. We do not
have our New Jersey home inspectors looking for termites, we have
an outside affiliate exterminating company perform all our termite
"plus" inspections. Not only will the inspector look for
termites but will also do a complete Wood Destroying Insect (WDI)
inspection. The termite plus inspection is a complete home inspection
which includes not only termites but carpenter ants, powder post
beetles, carpenter bees, etc.
Plus-On
the spot wood destroying insect report, also the (WDI) inspector
will inspect the home at the same time as the home inspector.
Plus-A
clear inspection without conditions includes a one year warranty
for termite infestation.
Plus-Free cost repair estimates are given if there
is any termite or insect damage.
Plus-All VA, FHA, and conventional
certifications acceptable to all lending institutions are included
in the cost of inspection.
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MOST
COMMON QUESTIONS
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What are termites? For simplicity of explanation,
termites are wood eating insects that have nests in the
ground. They love damp wood and are usually found in the
lower part of the house, particularly in the sill plates,
which is the first structural section of wood closest
to the ground.
Can one see termites? Are they
like ants? The average home owner never sees
a termite. The simple reason being that the worker termite
that eats the wood cannot live in the sunlight and air.
To survive the worker termite must: (a) stay out of the
sunlight and air therefore they stay in the shelter of
the wood, out of sight, (b) they must return to the soil
for moisture quite frequently and they do this by building
mud tunnels to stay out of sunlight and air. For these
reasons, it takes the practiced eye of a professional
termite inspector to know where to look and probe the
wood to locate the termites and then break open the wood
to expose the termite
When
termites damage your home, what are your options?.
Are there any termites in New Jersey? The bad
news is, New Jersey has an abundance of termites. The
good news is, they can be controlled and eliminated very
effectively with proper treatment.
What does the termite treatment
involve? The best method to treat termites
is with a chemical barrier between the house and ground.
The barrier prevents new termites from entering the house
and when the ones already in the house return to the ground
for moisture they too will perish from the treatment.
In other words, there is a very effective method of getting
rid of termites but the treatment and repair cost could
be expensive.
How much does it cost and who
pays? The cost depends on the size of the house
and the difficulty of the treatment. For example with
a small cape code style house, the treatment cost would
range between $450 and $550. The repair cost is another
matter. The repair cost depends on the extent of the damage.
Who pays? Normally
the seller of the house pays for both the treatment and
repair cost. The reason the seller pays is for a very
good reason. I know of no mortgage company that will give
a mortgage for the purchase of a house unless it has a
clear termite certification from a licensed termite company.
The certification must state there there is no termite
infestation and if there was any termite damage that it
was repaired properly and the company that completed the
treatment and repairs gave a one year guarantee to the
buyer for both the treatment and repairs.
Good news! Because
the mortgage companies insist on a clear termite certification
for every mortgage, the damage is kept to a minimum. The
average house is resold several times in its lifetime
and every time it is sold the termite issue is addressed.
This factor keeps termite damage to a minimal level. I
am not saying that there are no houses with serious damage
but these houses are the exception not the norm. From
our experience the average house that has termite damage
has a repair figure between $200 and $1500.
Advice to first time buyers.
Don't lose the purchase of a good house because it has
termites. Most houses in New Jersey will have some termite
or carpenter ant infestation. A professional termite company
can repair any damage like new and treat the property
against further infestation. I personally know several
first time buyers that turned down good deals because
of a mind set against termites.
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WORDS
OF CAUTION TO THE BUYER
WHEN TERMITES ARE DISCOVERED
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USING THE SELLER'S TERMITE INSPECTOR'S
REPORT—It is quite common for the seller
to have a termite service that performs an annual inspection
for temrites and treatment. With this kind of service
and a guarantee against termites, it's only logical to
accept the seller's termite certification that the property
is free of any wood destroying insects. With a written
guarantee, one would assume the following: the property
is free and clear of termites. And, the property has no
termite damage. These assumptions have cost many a buyer
dearly in terms of money, time and aggravation. To avoid
termite problems, this author suggests that the buyer
always hires his own independent termite inspector to
inspect the property for wood destroying insects and wood
damage.
THE SELLER'S TERMITE COMPANY—G.
Warren NJ Home Inspections always hires an outside termite
company to conduct all our termite inspections. The outside
termite inspector is used for good reasons: (1) New Jersey
has an abundance of termites whereby half the houses over
twenty years old have some form of a termite problem and
(2) To protect the buyer, we want the lower wood section
of the property probed for termites by a professional
termite inspector. Over the years we have found properties
that were covered with a termite service contract not
only had termites but wood damage as well. When this situation
is discovered, the seller's termite company is obligated
to make the necessary termite treatment and repairs. And,
if the seller's termite company overlooked termites and
repairs in the first place, what kind of repairs are they
going to perform.
BUYER'S PROTECTION AGAINST TERMITE
PROBLEMS—When termite treatment and repairs
are required, the buyer should always have his termite
company check the property after the repairs are completed.
To inspect is to assure that the job has been done properly.
The last thing a buyer wants is to accept a certification
from the seller's termite comapny that the property is
free of termites and all repairs have been completed,
and then find out over a year later that the property
still has termites and wood damage. When this happens
the termite problem and expense most times gets transferred
to the buyer because it's very difficult to prove that
the termites were there before the closing. The seller
and the termite repair company will say that the property
was free and clear of termties and that there was no damage
when the property was sold.
WHAT ABOUT THE ONE YEAR GUARANTEE—A
guarantee is only as good as the company giving the guarantee.
Most termite company's guarantee that the property will
be free of termites and damage for one year after the
insepction. Even if the seller's termite company is a
reputable company, the buyer still has the job of dealing
with the company and getting the job done properly if
termites are discovered after the closing of the property.
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PRECAUTIONS
TO AVOID TERMITES
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(1)
Keep water away from the house. Termites love moist wood.
(2) Do not store wood on the
ground near the house, particularly under the deck or porch. When
one stores wood in these areas, they are setting the dinner table
for termites.
(3) Keep firewood away from
the house and only bring it into the house when you are going
to burn it immediately. It is very unlikely that termites brought
in with firewood will start an infestation because their moisture
route to the nest has been broken. However, if you store firewood
in the house you could bring in a host of other type of insects
that could be pesty.
(4) Inspect the garage and
house foundation for small mud tunnels going from the ground to
the wood.
All termite companies sell a yearly
service contract for a fee normally under $200. The contract is
a Guarantee against termite infestation. They will inspect the
property once a year and if termites are found there is no cost
for the treatment or repair.
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